Cork Handle Repair.........

[GetANet]

Have a small cut in the handle of one of my rods. Doesn't seem to be down to the blank but right at the base of my hand and I want to try to glue or something before it escalates into a bigger crack or broken handle. Any suggestions???? As much as I like cork handles this why i don't buy many rods with them........................

[FASTEDDIE29]

Good question. Maybe some super strength wood filler, let it dry, sand it down, apply second coat, then sand it down again. Not sure about this one, maybe some kind of epoxy!!!

[flatcreek]

How about some silicone caulk.

[Lard Almighty]

Electrical tape. It ain't pretty, but it works.

[Billfish715]

You can try mixing up some pliabond with some cork shavings as a kind of filler and spreading the mixture over the gap and then sanding the cork when it cures. If plibond doesn't work then try another mixture of a bonding agent for the cork paste. Make sure it is water resistent.

The only other thing to do (which you don't want to do) is to cut the rod. Take off one or two rings and replace them with new rings. Glue the rings together with plibond. You'll have to use a rat tail file to open the holes before you put them on the rod you cut. You will also have to find a short piece of solid fiberglass (preferably) or a hollow glass section of old fiberglass and glue it inside of the rod you cut in half. Leave the other part of the splint sticking out. The "splint" should be about 6-8 inches long and fit snugly inside the cut pieces of your rod. Use epoxy.The glue on the splint will hold the rod together. Put enough glue on the other part of the splint and insert it into the blank and join both pieces of the rod together. Put enough plibond between the corks to hold them together. File the handle until it is smooth and level with the other corks.

[D'ANGLER]

Try shaving down a discarded wine bottle cork into sawdust. Mix cork sawdust with some wood glue or even Elmers to make a thick paste. Press paste into cork and let dry. If its a large gash you can cut a small piece of cork to fit the repair site using the paste too. Sand with fine grade sandpaper till smooth. You can continue to sand the whole cork and seal with U40 cork seal sold on many rod building sites. It will prevent further deterioration and aid keeping your handle free of grime. Good luck with your repairs...

[blackcloudbob]

Just put shrink wrap over the cork.

[snapperbluefish101]

Try shaving down a discarded wine bottle cork into sawdust. Mix cork sawdust with some wood glue or even Elmers to make a thick paste. Press paste into cork and let dry. If its a large gash you can cut a small piece of cork to fit the repair site using the paste too. Sand with fine grade sandpaper till smooth. You can continue to sand the whole cork and seal with U40 cork seal sold on many rod building sites. It will prevent further deterioration and aid keeping your handle free of grime. Good luck with your repairs...

If you can remind me, do you have to reapply the seal after a year?

SNAPPERHEAD

[Jigsmith]

Try shaving down a discarded wine bottle cork into sawdust. Mix cork sawdust with some wood glue or even Elmers to make a thick paste. Press paste into cork and let dry. If its a large gash you can cut a small piece of cork to fit the repair site using the paste too. Sand with fine grade sandpaper till smooth. You can continue to sand the whole cork and seal with U40 cork seal sold on many rod building sites. It will prevent further deterioration and aid keeping your handle free of grime. Good luck with your repairs...


This is the best advise so far. Titebond 3 is what I would use. Good luck. Also you can buy a few cork rings if you prefer. They might match the handle better.

[2na]

I'd use this stuff http://www.mudhole.com/Rod-Building/Cord-Grip-Tape-Shrink-Tubing/Flocked-Rubber-Shrink-Tube

[D'ANGLER]

If you can remind me, do you have to reapply the seal after a year?
Some people will reapply after one year to help keep it clean, while others wouldn't dare clean the mojo off their handles for fear of bad luck. Personally I would do it on a new rod build or after sanding a repair to prevent further pitting.

[JerseyCoast]

I have used cork dust as mentioned. I also use the sealer on my rods 2X a year.

Cork is an item that we see many issues with. There are different grades and while some may think a place is over priced, its because your getting a better grade and will not have the issues we see on the cheaper grades.

There are a few options as mentioned and most of them will work well.